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Koro: a case in an Eastern European asylum seeker in Ireland

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  13 June 2014

Noel Kennedy  and
Michael McDonough
Noel Kennedy
Affiliation:
University of Cambridge, Cambridge, England
Michael McDonough
Affiliation:
Maudsley Hospital, London, England
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Abstract

Koro is characterised as a perception that one's genital organs are shrinking and will eventually recede into the abdomen. It was initially described in South East Asia as a culture bound syndrome but this syndrome has recently been recognised in a non-culture bound context A case is described of a depressed Eastern European asylum seeker with koro like symptoms. All symptoms resolved completely with fluoxetine treatment The relevant literature to the case is reviewed, in relation to onset, symptoms and treatment of this rare syndrome. In addition comparison is made with previous reports of the non-culture bound variant.

Keywords

KoroCulture bound koroNon culture bound koroAsylum seekerRefugeeTreatmentSelective serotonin re-uptake inhibitorPenile shrinkageDepression
Type
Case report
Information
Irish Journal of Psychological Medicine , Volume 19 , Issue 4 , December 2002 , pp. 130 - 131
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2002

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